West Somerset Railway General Discussion

The future is "meet and greet" - in pink, blue and many other colours.

https://twitter.com/WSomRailway/status/271555094108057600/photo/1

Details at Character Meet and Greet Days « West Somerset Railway

I suspect this would be better posted on a different forum

Steve

 

Just a heads-up to say that the WSR is due to feature on Countryfile tonight at 18.40 on BBC 1 :BBC One - Countryfile, Somerset

 

I hope Matt Baker had a PTS when he walked the track

 

Has the WSR earth works come through the recent bad weather OK?

Regards

 

Yes David things seem OK. One minor slip in the cutting at Halscombe Bridge near Washford WSR :: West Somerset Railway :: Snapshot with nothing else of note, despite flooding in several places. Trains running OK over full 23 miles.

Steve

 

The West Somerset Railway has completed the purchase of additional land at the Station Farm site adjacent to Bishops Lydeard station. The site is earmarked for new carriage sidings. In due course these will probably take the form of 5 or so sidings, fanning out from a headshunt at the Norton end of the site. Provision is also being made for a new rail connected museum behind the goods shed in the longer term.

Work is expected to start soon on preparing and levelling the site prior to laying the new sidings. Some of the incoming Network Rail trains carrying spent ballast will run to Bishops Lydeard to deposit the ballast for use as infill. I imagine that the prospect looking west from Lydeard station platform will change somewhat in the future with all this additional track work. Significant alterations in the station track layout and signalling also seem likely in due course, one aim being to make the bay platform accessible for termination of passenger trains arriving from Taunton and Norton Fitzwarren. As always the pace of progress will depend on the availability of funds, and will probably be extended over quite a few years.

David

 

Wouldn't this be better as a carriage shed?

Regards

 

I think here is your answer:

Building a shed on that sort of scale would probably add several million on top of what is already sounding a pretty big project (track to lay, signalling alterations to implement etc). So if the WSR need the sidings for operational reasons more quickly, that I guess is what they have to concentrate on first.

Presumably, nothing would stop erection of a shed on some or all of the site at a later date - finance, and planning permission, permitting!

Tom

 

There was a plan for a carriage shed on this site, for the GWR coaches once restored, some years ago. Robin White was asking people to write or email to the council in favour of the scheme at one of the Spring Gala's.

 

The museum and carriage shed are one and the same thing. The building shown in outline in the Station Farm planning documents is designed to accomodate up to 3 7-coach carriage sets.

David

 

:wink:
Exellent news. Been needed for a long time a carriage shed, sorry er museum!

 

David, thank you for that. Are there any longer term plans to get all the passenger rolling stock under cover?

Regards

 

WSRA have offered to buy the land recently purchased by WSR Plc. Sounds like a positive and constructive offer that will release funds for the Plc (might go a long way to wiping the Plc's "income deficit") and also allow access to external funding streams to help develop the site.

 

Having read with dismay the (possibly one sided) content of the flyer included with the latest issue of the WSRA Journal, from which I got the distinct impression that the WSRA and WSR PLC were barely on speaking terms, this particular piece of news is indeed welcome and it shows that the two organisations are (we can but hope) still willing to work together for the common good.

 

Hi all, can some one bring me up to date with the hawksworth and collett coach projects?

 

Best place for updates is The West Somerset Steam Railway Trust Updates are posted from time to time on the Heritage Carriages page.

Hope this helps.

Steve

 

I can see merits and demerits on both sides. Maybe some of the people within both organisations need their heads banged together to see some sense.

 

I understand BR GUV 86568 (93568) has moved from Bristol Harbour to Williton in the last fewc days. Anyone able to confirm this and say whether the move is permanent or temporary?

 

Yes it has been purchased by the WSR Association. It will not run on the WSR but will be dismantled. The body will be placed in Sherring's Yard (behind the Swindon Shed at Williton) and used as a workshop/store, and the rest re-used as spares. More information with pics on WSR :: West Somerset Railway :: Pictures and News (see news page and latest pictures page)

Steve
WSR :: West Somerset Railway :: Pictures and News

 

WSR Plc have rejected WSRA's Station Farm offer. Full text of WSRA statement at WSRA

Steve